


Memory Lane

by kingstoken



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Sharing a Body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:00:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingstoken/pseuds/kingstoken
Summary: Adam wants to show Michael all the places he talked about for the past ten years, so they go on a journey, visiting several sites, but Michael realizes that there is one place Adam is avoiding, his childhood home.
Relationships: Michael/Adam Milligan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55





	Memory Lane

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JJ1564](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJ1564/gifts).



> Written for the SPN Spring Fic Exchange over at [spn_bigpretzel](https://spn-bigpretzel.livejournal.com/)
> 
> The banner art and end card are by the generous [Dizzojay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dizzojay/)

There was a rustle of wings then Michael landed in the dormitory hallway. His eyes flashed blue and Adam was in control of their body, although in his mind's eye Michael was standing next to him. The hallway was unusually quiet, no music playing, no sounds of muffled voices, but that was probably because of the time of year they were visiting.

“So, this is where you lived once” said Michael.

“Yeah” responded Adam, he knew it probably didn't look like much to the archangel. Michael had flown them all over the earth, showing him it's natural wonders, it had been amazing, but when Michael had asked Adam where he'd like to visit next the first thing that popped out of his mouth was UW, the University of Wisconsin. He had an overwhelming urge to show Michael his life, from before. Not that any of this would probably be too surprising, he had told Michael pretty much everything about himself. Adam was sure that there was multitudes he did not know about Michael, a being that had lived for millennia, but Adam only had nineteen short years, and every detail of it had been whispered to Michael in the darkness of the cage. 

Adam walked into the student lounge, well this place hasn't changed much he thought, he could have sworn these sunken plaid couches were the same ones he used to stretch out on back in the day. The TV looked newer, it was a flat screen instead of a chunky box model. Then Adam noticed the kitchenette in the corner.

“Wow, they actually put in a stove” he said, walking over to take a closer look.

“I assume last time you were here this device had not been installed” said Michael, trying to show an interest. 

“Nope, you either ate in the cafeteria, or made do with the microwave. Hey, I should show you my room” Adam said excitedly. He left the lounge and made his way down the hallway, checking the room numbers until he came across 302. As he opened the door he felt his enthusiasm drain from him, logically he'd known that a dozen different students had probably lived in this room since he left, but a foolish part of him had expected it to look the same. The room was empty, the beds stripped of sheets, the wardrobes left open, revealing empty shelves. Adam just stood there a moment trying to adsorb it. He was distracted so he didn't hear anyone approaching until a voice said

“Oi, what are you doing in here?” Michael made a move to take control, but Adam assured him that he could handle it. The man standing in the doorway was wearing coveralls and he had a ring of keys attached to his belt, Adam figured he was some sort of janitor.

“Hey” Adam said, trying to give the man one of his disarming smiles “I hope this is alright, I was in town visiting, and well, I used to go to school here, this used to be my room in fact, and I just wanted to see it again. I'm sorry if I caused any problems, I tried to sign in downstairs, but there was no one at the security desk.”

“Figures” the janitor mumbled under this breath “Well, normally visitors are not supposed to be up here without a student guide, but we can probably make an exception this time. Spring semester just ended, and they give us this week to clean out the place. So, which bed was yours?” Adam pointed to the one on the right, not that there was much distinguishing the two apart, except for the poster above the bed.

“I bet you weren't a Drake fan” said the janitor as he pulled the poster down.

“No, I had a poster of a dragon” Adam remembered. 

“Really? You still like dragons?”

“No, supernatural creatures don't hold the same appeal they used to.” The janitor could sense some sort of sadness in this young man, trips down memory lane weren't always happy ones.

“Tell you what, you take as much time as you need. I'll go down to the other end of the hall and clean those rooms first. You know, you'd be surprised what gets left behind.” The janitor walked away, whistling a jaunty tune.

“Adam” said Michael.

“I'm okay, Michael” he said, giving Michael a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. “Hey, I remember there was this great diner downtown, that had greasy burgers and onion rings.” Michael groaned, but he took control and flew them away from the room that was no longer Adam's.

* * *

Next Adam took Michael to a Minnesota Twins game, the same team John Winchester used to take Adam to watch on his yearly birthday trips. They sat in the nosebleed section, Adam chose an area away from other people, which wasn't hard, it was a Tuesday afternoon game and the stadium was only about half full. Adam was munching on popcorn, half watching the game and partly just enjoying the sun on his face.

“I do not think I understand this game” declared Michael “if the objective is to take the bases why do they stand around waiting for the ball to be thrown, why not just take them.”

“They can steal bases, but it's risky, they could be stopped by players on the opposing team.”

“Then why do they not just subdue the opposing team members.” 

“Subdue? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is against the rules.”

“Oh.” If there was one thing Michael understood, it was following the rules. After watching the game quietly for a few minutes, Adam turned to Michael.

“Michael, did the angels ever play games?”

“In a way, there was sparring, of course, you had to keep your skills sharp, and contests, like seeing who could fly the fastest.”

“I bet you won those” said Adam. Michael looked pleased that Adam thought so highly of him.

“Actually, Raphael won most often.” Michael's lips twitched, as if he was fighting a smile.

“What is it?” asked Adam.

“I was just remembering one race where Gabriel slicked a section of the course with honey, so anyone who passed would find the tips of their wings sticky. Raphael was not amused.”

“But you were.”

“Yes” then Michael made a sound, it was almost a laugh. Adam had never seen Michael laugh before, although there hadn't been much to laugh about for the last ten years. As quickly as the laughter had come Adam watched it disappear, a shadow descended over Michael, and he seemed to stare off into space.

“You miss him, don't you? Gabriel.”

“I hadn't seen him for centuries before his death, but yes, I miss him.” Adam turned his attention back to the baseball game, to give Michael some time. They watched the final inning in silence.

* * *

The nostalgia tour continued. Adam took them to the bar where he'd had his first drink, Michael thought it was too loud, and he didn't like Adam putting toxins into his body. Adam rented a car and drove them around for a day, the feeling wasn't a bad one, but Michael thought wings were preferable. Adam took them to the national park where he had his first camping trip with his scout troop, like all nature it had a simple, but complex, beauty. Michael didn't mind visiting all these places, in fact, it was nice to see the areas Adam had described in their long conversations. However, Micheal noticed there was one place Adam studiously avoided, his childhood home. They were sitting on a bluff overlooking the park, when Michael decided to broach the subject.

“Adam, as interesting as all these visits have been-”

“You're getting tired of the Adam life tour.”

“No, I am not, but I am wondering why we haven't yet visited Windom, Minnesota.” Adam was quiet for a long time after that, and Michael thought he might not get an answer. He could probe Adam's mind, but they had agreed early on not to do that to each other.

“I'm afraid” Adam whispered “I don't know what happened to our home after we died, but I do know that it wouldn't have remained empty, preserved. I'm afraid it'll hurt too much, that I won't be able to handle it.” Michael could feel how much that admission cost Adam.

“Adam, I am not going to force you to do anything, but you should know you are stronger than you think you are, and you are not alone.” Michael left it at that, as they watched the sun set over the trees. 

* * *

A few days later, when Michael was in charge, Adam said

“I want to go, to Windom.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, but we better go soon, before I change my mind.” Michael spread his wings and took flight. He landed on Dyer St, outside the home that once belonged to Kate and Adam Milligan. Michael expected Adam to take control once they arrived, but he made no move to do so, he seemed to find security in staying within Michael, seeing through his eyes. The street was quiet, it was early Sunday morning, aside from the faithful that would soon be going to worship, everyone was still in bed.

“They painted it.” His mom had chosen a pale blue for the house, blue with white trim. Adam remembered spending many days of his summer vacation painting that trim. Now, it was a boring beige colour. 

“They?” asked Michael.

“Whoever owns it now.” There were toys on the front lawn, a soccer ball, a tricycle, whoever lived in there had kids. That was a good thing, wasn't it? Adam was starting to feel a little overwhelmed.

“Michael, maybe we should-”

“Adam” a voice interrupted “Adam Milligan, is that you?” Their eyes flashed blue and Adam took control of his body. He saw an elderly woman standing in the driveway next door.

“Mrs. Stapleton?” he asked, as he approached.

“Yes, dear, it's me, but I can hardly believe it's you.”

“Yeah, its been a long time.”

“Come inside, dear, we'll have a little chat.”

“Oh, but weren't you going somewhere?” he asked, noticing the dress she wore and the purse slung over her forearm.

“Church can wait, its not everyday that an old friend comes to visit.” Adam followed her inside. The Stapletons had lived next door to them for the entire time Adam had lived on Dyer St. When he was young, and had been a bit of a latchkey kid, it was that Stapletons who had checked on him after school to make sure he was alright. Later on he had mowed their lawn and shovelled the snow from their driveway to earn extra spending money. Mrs Stapleton had aged over the last ten years, her shoulders stooped, her steps plodding, but little had changed in the Stapletons' living room, except there was maybe more knickknacks. Mrs Stapleton waved him over to the loveseat.

“Now, what can I get you, tea, maybe a soda pop.” Adam smiled to himself, to her he must still seem impossibly young, although he felt so old.

“Just some water, thank you.” As she left the room Michael spoke up for the first time.

“She seems kind.”

“She is.” Mrs Stapleton returned from the kitchen with a small glass of water, which Adam gratefully accepted, taking a sip, before setting the glass on a coaster on the coffee table. Mrs Stapleton had settled herself in a chair across from him. Adam asked a question, to postpone all the questions he was sure she had.

“Where's Mr Stapleton?” Mrs Stapleton looked sad.

“He's in Shady Grove nursing home, dementia.”

“Oh, I'm so sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, my dear, it's just something one has to accept.” She took a deep breath turning her mind away from the subject “Now Adam, why don't you tell me where you've been for the past ten years.”

“Um, well, why don't you tell me what you know first?”

“Well, I don't know nearly enough I'm afraid. After they found your mother... after your mother passed away, you just disappeared. I told the police that something was terribly wrong, you and your mother were so close, there was no way you wouldn't have come home, especially for the funeral.”

“Funeral?”

“Yes, we waited a long time, but eventually my husband and I organized a memorial service, so the neighbours and your mother's friends from the hospital could say goodbye.”

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, we loved your mother.” Adam never really thought about how their deaths had effected those around them, that maybe their lives had more of an impact then he realized, he swallowed down his emotions. Mrs Stapleton waited patiently, but also expectantly.

“Um, after my mom died, I was put into an institution, for the mentally ill.” This was the story he had concocted in case he ever ran into someone he used to know, but he'd never thought he'd actually have to use it.

“And you've been in there all this time?” Adam nodded. “Oh my poor boy, you've been through a lot, but you're better now?”

“Yeah, I'm doing a lot better now.” After that they chatted of lighter things, she told him about the neighbourhood, what had changed and what hadn't. Adam told her about Michael, not that he was an archangel, but that he was a friend, that he was showing him around all his old haunts.

“Where's your friend now?”

“Back at the motel, I had to do this part alone.” She nodded her understanding “In fact, I should probably be getting back.”

“Oh, my dear, before you go, could you get something down for me? I can't reach things like I used to.”

“Sure.”

“In the front hall closet, on the top shelf at the back, there is a decorative blue gift box, could you get it for me?” Adam went to the closet and had no trouble finding the box, he brought it back to Mrs Stapleton.

“After your mother passed, the bank sold the house, and they held an auction to sell the furniture and whatnot. Anyways, I asked the man organizing the auction if I could gather a few mementos first and he agreed” she said, as she passed the box back to Adam. Adam lifted the lid, and the first thing he saw was his mother's smiling face, it was a photograph, in fact there were several photos in the box, he remembered them being framed and sitting around his house.

“I don't know why I kept them, I guess I just couldn't stand the thought..., but maybe I just knew that someday you'd come back” said Mrs Stapleton. Adam could feel the tears streaming down his face, but managed to choke out a watery 

“Thank you.” They shared a tearful goodbye, and Adam left clutching the box to his chest as if he was afraid that it would disappear.

“Michael” Adam said, when they were once again standing in Dyer St.

“Yes, Adam.”

“Can your powers heal dementia?”

“Yes, but a miracle like that would draw attention.” 

“Then maybe not a full miracle, just make it so that when she visits him he knows who she is.” Michael took control, spread his wings, and they flew to Shady Grove nursing home.

* * *

Later, Michael took Adam to a hotel room, he hadn't rented it, Michael just selected an empty room and warded it against anyone entering. They didn't really need to rest, but he figured Adam earned it. A few hours later Adam sat up on the bed.

“Michael.”

“Yeah, kid.”

“Thank you, for putting up with me” Adam said. Michael smiled.

“Shouldn't I be the one saying that to you?” Adam laughed.

“Yeah, probably.”

“So, what now, kid.”

“I don't know.”

“You could build a life here, if you wanted.”

“A life without you, you mean.” Michael shrugged.

“Michael, I don't want you to go.”

“And I don't want to go.” Adam knew that was as close to an admission of feelings that he was going to get at the moment.

“Okay then, I guess we better start making some sort of plans.” So, they talked, shared their dreams, and planned well into the night.


End file.
